Detonation
by iclaimeditforhell
Summary: New York City. It’s the city that never sleeps. In this story the citizen’s of this city are certainly not sleeping soundly. Tick. Tick. Tick. Each second could be their last. For one of the Reagans this might very well be true!


**/**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Bloods or any of the characters. All rights belong to CBS. I am but a lowly fan, writing a few stories, inspired by the show and its characters.**

**Feedback is always appreciated. I'm not an expert in any sense of the word so if I've got certain things wrong i.e. police procedures, language, grammar and such. Please forgive me. Let me know where I've gone wrong and I'll do my best to change it.**

**Author's Note: Throughout this story and most likely any future stories, you will see - / - in between text. This is my way of showing a change in location or time.**

**/**

Tick. Tick. Tick.

The seconds count down. Anticipation builds. The gloved hand wraps tighter around the trigger. In a few more seconds this seemingly peaceful street in New York will become the most chaotic.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

It's time...

/

"You sure you don't need anything else pop?" Erin questions, fussing over her grandpa's pillow.

"I've sprained my ankle. It's not as if I'm on death's door" Henry retorts, rolling his eyes at all the fuss his family are making.

"You have a concussion or did you forget that you hit your head when you fell" Erin points out in a playful manner, trying to mask her worried tone "I would've thought it'd knock some sense into you"

Henry shoots his granddaughter an unamused look.

"It would've been nice if it had knocked that inherent Reagan stubbornness outta him too" Frank adds with a small smile.

"I love you too Francis" Henry remarks.

"Hey, sorry I'm late!" Jamie announces as he enters the hospital room.

A small blonde, dressed in NYPD uniform, follows him into the room.

"Hey everyone" she says with a smile.

"Hey Eddie" Linda greets, before moving over to make room at the end of the bed for Jamie and Eddie to stand.

"You okay pop?" Jamie questions "I heard you cracked the floor open with that thick Irish head of yours"

"Ha. Ha." Henry replies dryly.

The rest of the family try to stifle their laughter at Jamie's witty remark. A cell phone rings. The Reagans look to one another. Danny reaches into his pocket. Of course it's his phone! When is it _not_ Danny's phone ringing?

"Excuse me everyone. I gotta take this" Danny announces as he walks out the room.

/

Only a few minutes later, Danny comes back into Henry's hospital room. The lighthearted conversation ceases. Danny's face says it all. Whatever it is - it's bad!

"You okay babe?" Linda questions, full of concern.

"No, there's been another bombing" Danny tells them "Look I gotta go. I'll see you all later"

"Bye dad" Jack and Sean call out as he leaves.

"How many is that now?" Henry queries.

"Number four pop" Frank tells him with a heavy heart.

The reason Frank takes it to heart is because these bombs are going off in his city. As Commissioner he takes every threat to New York personally. Four bombs have gone off already. People have died. People have been seriously injured. All are scared. The city is on high alert. The bomber's targets are random. All that is known, at the moment, is the bomber wants mass casualties. Public places are the main targets.

/

Danny and Baez arrive at the scene of the fourth bombing. It's inside a shop. The place is an absolute mess. Debris lies scattered across the floor. Blood smears the walls. In a mass panic, people have clearly just tried to get away, leaving blood everywhere. Body bags lie dotted about the place. Some small. Some large. Some holding full bodies and some holding only parts.

"We need to catch this son of a bitch" Danny tells his partner as he surverys the grim scene.

The pair share a determined look. This is their case. They're going to see it through to the very end. No matter what. No matter what the end is.

/

"I can't believe how many people have called in sick today" Eddie rants as she walks down the street alongside her partner "I mean it's crazy. I don't buy it. Suddenly everyone has the flu?"

"I heard there was something going round" Jamie adds, his mind not really focused on her rant.

"You should be with your family right now" Eddie continues "Your grandpa is in the hospital and yet here you are on another tour with me"

"I don't mind" Jamie tells her "Besides my grandpa is fine. It's a sprained ankle and I think his head did more damage to the floor than it did to him"

She smiles at him "What was it you said? He has a thick irish head?"

"Yeah" Jamie returns her smile "It's inherent in all the Reagans"

Eddie smirks. Jamie catches her expression and rolls his eyes.

"Shut up" he tells her playfully.

Jamie turns his attention away from his partner. She's already changed the conversation to where they're going for dinner. Typical Eddie. It's still a few hours until their dinner break and she's already talking about it!

"Bomb!" Jamie yells "Eddie get down!"

Eddie feels her partner tackle her to the ground. She hits her head. A loud explosion follows. Eddie covers her face. The heat is intense. It burns. Her face starts to sting. It's as if she has dozens of tiny scratches across her face.

The heat dies down slightly. Eddie brings her hands away from her face. In her blurry vision, she sees the raging inferno before her. It used to be a cute little cafe. It's far from that now.

On instinct, Eddie searches for her partner. Jamie lies beside her. Still. Silent. Unresponsive.

"Jamie!" she yells, as she tries to crawl over to him.

/

"I can't believe they're letting you go home so early" Erin grumbles as she pushes her grandpa down the hallway in a wheelchair.

The Reagan family had convened at the hospital to have Sunday dinner together. Well almost all. Jamie had to take an extra shift. He said he'd be around later though. However, as luck would have it, the doctors allowed Henry to go home. Frank would probably argue sent home rather than allowed. The patriarch of the family never likes to over stay his welcome in hospital.

Danny approaches the family. A similar look to the one he had last time is etched on to his face.

"Another one?" Frank guesses.

"Yeah, except this time it's not just a civilians caught in the blast" Danny tells him, directing it towards his dad mainly "A couple of cops got injured too"

The family glance to Frank. The Commissioner tries to put on a brave face. His eyes say it all though.

"Make room!"

The Reagans turn. Doctors rush over to paramedics as they wheel in someone on a stretcher. The family can see the NYPD uniform.

"That must be them" Danny says as he walks over to get a better look.

Danny sees the blood on the shirt collar of the cop's uniform. It makes him mad. Now he has to add two cops to the list of victims. A list of people he hasn't been able to save. It makes Danny even more determined to catch this bomber.

The stretcher reaches the end of the hallway. The doors behind fly open. The second cop is being wheeled in. Danny's heart drops. For the first time he can see the face of the first cop.

"Eddie?!" Danny exclaims, loud enough for his family to hear.

No details were given on the cops. Not even their precinct. All that was known was that two cops were caught in the blast. Now Danny knows who they are. Both of them. There's no question who the second cop is.

"Can I get some help over here?!" a doctor yells, drawing Danny's attention to the second stretcher.

People in scrubs run over. Danny's heart drops. The sheets this cop lies on are already soaked in blood. Danny moves closer.

The detective feels his heart plummet. The sight is sickening. Danny's baby brother lies unconscious on the blood soaked bed. An oxygen mask lies on his face. A myriad of cuts and scrapes line his face. Danny's eyes spring with tears as he takes in Jamie's full appearance. Shards of glass, metal and other bits of debris cover him. One large fragment of metal is lodged deep in his upper right thigh. It sends Danny's head into a spin.

The mass of doctors surrounding the young officer, rush him into the OR.

The last things the Reagan's hear is "He's crashing!"

/

Eddie sits on a hospital bed. A row of stiches lines her forehead. She stares idly into space. Now she's been left alone by all the doctors and nurses, her mind has put her right back there, on that street.

She remembers walking beside her partner. It's the usual stuff. She's chatting away. Jamie listens. Until he doesn't. Until he's tackling her to the ground. Until the explosion...

A soft knock draws her out of her memory. She glances up. It's Danny Reagan.

Oh God it's Danny Reagan! Her partner's big brother who is famously and fiercely protective over his kid brother. Eddie gulps.

"Hey Eddie" Danny greets with a weak smile "Can we come in?"

"Yeah sure" the officer replies, not even noticing Baez standing there until Danny comes further in.

Baez gives a supportive smile "Hey Eddie, how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Head is a little sore so they're going to keep me in for tonight and hopefully release me tomorrow" she tells them, averting her eyes from Danny's intense gaze "H-how's Jamie?"

Eddie sees Baez glance nervously at Danny. Her heart misses a beat. Panic sets in. For the first time since the detectives walked in here, she looks to Danny with worried eyes.

"Danny? Is he okay?" Eddie questions fearfully.

The detective let's out a heavy sigh "I don't know. He's not out of surgery yet"

Her partner's brother places his hand on her shoulder. A comforting gesture. Eddie is grateful for the attempt, but it does little to comfort her.

"Danny I'm so sorry" Eddie tells him as tears well in her blue eyes.

"Hey, don't do this to yourself" Danny grips her shoulder tighter "This isn't your fault"

"Just talk us through what happened Eddie. Take your time. Any details you can tell us could help us catch the person who really is to blame" Baez points out in a soothing tone.

"Well I don't remember that much" Eddie pauses, the flashback begins inside her head again "One minute we're walking down the street. The next thing I know I hear Jamie shouting that there's a bomb and everyone needs to get down then he tackled me to the ground. The explosion happened less than a second after that"

Danny and Baez share a look. Clearly Eddie didn't see anything. From the sounds of it though Danny's kid brother did. Jamie is their key witness. A witness that's still not out of surgery.

"Jamie just reacted so fast" Eddie continues, memory still racing "I wasn't even paying attention y'know. Jamie shielded me from the blast. The heat was so intense. I-I could feel it on my face, but Jamie was covering me. He must've-"

Eddie cuts herself off. Emotions swelling. The hand on her shoulder is removed. She glances to her left. Danny has a sad look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry" she bows her head.

"It's not your fault" Danny reassures her "Jamie is very protective over his partners"

"Is that because of what happened with Vinny?" Eddie questions, not really knowing if it's the best time to be bringing Jamie's dead partner into this.

"You know what happened with Vinny?" Danny probes, sensing Eddie's uncertainty.

"He told me Vinny died, but he was very vague and he never likes to talk about it" Eddie admits, wishing her partner wouldn't bottle things up so much.

"That's my kid brother for ya" he exhales deeply "Jamie and Vinny got caught up in the war between the gang in the Bitterman Housing Project and the NYPD. Jamie and Vinny were lured into the projects and when they got there, a shooter on the roof shot at them. Jamie took one to the chest, but he had his vest on. Vinny wasn't so lucky and he took a bullet to the neck. He bled out quick. Vinny died in Jamie's arms that day"

Eddie is overcome with emotion. Different emotions. Confusing ones. She knows she and Jamie are close, even a little too close for partners, but now his protective nature makes sense. Jamie doesn't want to lose her like he lost Vinny.

/

The full hospital waiting room holds an almighty tension. A sea of uniformed officers talk amongst themselves. At the front sit the Reagans. Frank sits alone. No one dare approach him. A few cops steal a glance at the PC, but he doesn't look up. No eye contact is made. If he did then they'd be able to see the deep seated worry. The fear. Frank Reagan has already lost one son. Surely God won't take another from the Reagans so soon?

"Here dad" Erin looks down at her dad, extending a hand, holding a coffee cup towards him.

Frank glances up. A brave face is put on. It's his usual stoic look. Erin sits down beside her father. Despite his best efforts, she can tell he's not coping very well with this. Frank wraps his hands around the cup. Grateful for something to hold on to if nothing else. It might stop the tremble in his hands. At the very least conceal it.

Erin puts a hand on his arm, squeezing supportively "He's going to be okay dad"

Frank doesn't reply. Reaching a hand over he returns her gesture. It's just a quick squeeze. A sign of recognition of her words. That's it. He dare not respond with words for fear his voice will break. Frank needs to be strong. His family need him to be strong. They're worrying almost as much as Frank is about his baby boy.

Finally, the surgeon comes out. Blood stains her scrubs. All in the room are quick to notice this. The surgeon walks over to the Commissioner. Of course, well aware of who she just operated on. Frank stands to greet her. Everyone goes silent. Cops, pretending not to listen in, steal glances at her.

"Commissioner" she greets.

"How's my officer?" Frank asks, voice going as loud as he dares.

"Officer Reagan is in recovery now" she tells him with a small smile, watching an invisible weight drop off his broad shoulders "The surgery went well. That being said, there's a long way to go until he's completely out of the woods, but the worst is over. It'll be a few days, I would imagine, before he wakes, but if you'd like to see him I can take you through once he's moved into a room"

Frank extends his hand. The tremble is there. The surgeon accepts his gesture.

"Thank you" Frank shakes her hand "As both the Commissioner and a father"

"You're welcome" she replies kindly "I'll go and see if they have a room for him yet. I'm sure there'll be one available for one of New York's finest"

"Thank you. I appreciate it" Frank tells her then turns around to tell his family the good news.

/

A steady constant beep. It's the first sound Jamie hears when he wakes.

As he lies against the white sheets of the hospital bed, it's now clear to see the extent of the damage.

Cuts and bruises line his body. What seems like hundreds of tiny scratches line his arms. A similar pattern of cuts feature on his face, neck and hands. Any bare skin on show has been affected. There's even some burns on his hands. Very minor though. It just goes to show the intensity of the heat from the explosion!

Jamie flicks his eyes open. As he becomes more aware, he feels the light puffs of air against his face. It's not unfamiliar to him. After running into a burning building, on a number of occasions, Jamie has been given an oxygen mask to put over his face. Well, given isn't the best word to use. Perhaps forced to use would be better? At least that's what Eddie would say.

Speaking of his partner, she's fast asleep in the chair by his bedside. Head resting on his bed. Hand holding his. Jamie smiles. He pulls the oxygen mask off his face.

"Ed" he croaks out "Eddie"

She murmurs. Jamie rolls his eyes fondly. With no shortage of effort, he gently squeezes her hand. Only gently, because that's all the strength he can muster right now. Thankfully it's enough to wake her.

Eddie lifts her head. Cuts and bruises mark her face. The biggest feature of course being the row of stitches on her forehead.

"Jamie!" her eyes widen when she sees him staring at her "Thank God you're finally awake!"

"Finally?" he questions.

"Yeah you've been out for almost three days" Eddie tells him, as she stands up, still maintaining a hold of his hand.

"How long have you been here?" Jamie asks her.

His partner gives him a guilty look "I kinda never left"

"You what?" he questions in fake shock.

A part of him knew she'd stay. It's just the kind of partnership they have. There's a part of him that had wished she'd gone home to take care of herself. The other part is glad she's here.

"I only got discharged the other day" Eddie points out "Turns out I had a minor concussion"

"Are you okay?" he probes, concern etching on to his facial features.

"Yeah yeah I'm fine" she smiles "Your family should be here soon. Oh my God, they'll be so excited to see you awake!"

"You're awake" Jamie and Eddie turn to see a woman in medical scrubs stood in the doorway.

Jamie glances at his partner in confusion so she explains "This is Doctor Evans. She performed the surgery that saved your life"

"Oh well in that case I owe you a thank you Doctor Evans" Jamie tells her with a grateful smile.

"You owe me nothing, but to get yourself well again" the doctor responds, as she picks up his chart "I'm glad to see you're awake, but I imagine not nearly as glad as your family will be"

"So I've heard" the bed ridden officer flicks his eyes over to Eddie.

Doctor Evans looks up from the chart "They're all here now I think. Unlike some" she glances at Eddie "They wait for visiting hours to start"

Eddie flashes her a cheeky grin "Visiting hours don't apply to his protective detail"

"Protective detail, huh?" Jamie gives her an amused look "Since when do I get one of those?"

"Since you almost got blown up by a bomber who is still on the loose" Eddie reminds him, a serious look in her eyes.

"I'll let your family in now" Doctor Evans tells them before leaving.

A couple of minutes later, all the Reagans file into the room. One after the other. Giant grins on their faces. Wide eyes filled with joy at the sight of Jamie. They all greet him in their own way. Second to last to walk in is Henry.

"Hey pop" Jamie gives him a shocked, but happy look.

The patriarch of the family smirks "I heard that thick Irish head of yours gave you some protection out there"

Jamie smiles, recalling the joke he had made to his grandpa in hospital. This is pay back. A softer version though. Henry looks as worried as the rest of them.

Last to enter is Frank. The tallest of the family fills the room in presence, as well as size. Jamie stares at him. The Commissioner can hide his emotions well. Often a little too well. Jamie tries hard to see behind the many walls he puts up.

"We should go get something from the cafeteria" Erin announces "I think most of us have come straight from work. We'll be back soon okay?"

Jamie nods at her. She leans in and kisses him on the cheek.

"Come with us Eddie" Erin says, holding her hand out towards her kid brother's partner.

"I don't wanna intrude" Eddie blushes.

"Nonesense" Henry pipes up "The partner of any family member automatically becomes a part of the Reagan family"

Eddie smiles gratefully "Thank you"

One by one his family exit. Jamie keeps a small smile on his face. A brave one at that. The effects of whatever kind of drugs they had him on are starting to wear off now. The pain is kicking in. Nothing major. It's just small aches for now.

The only one left in the room now is his dad. Hands deep in his pockets. Stood like a statue. It doesn't look like he plans on moving. Feet are planted firmly.

Jamie exhales deeply, relaxing into his pillow, as tiredness starts to take hold "I'm fine dad"

Frank looks up. A small smile crosses his lips. Jamie can tell it's forced. The Commissioner's eyes reveal more than he'd like them to. His youngest can see it. The emotions swirl around in his tired eyes.

Suddenly Frank moves. It was unexpected for his son to say the least. Frank takes the seat Eddie had previously occupied.

"Y'know it's times like this that make me regret not making you honour your mom's wishes" Frank admits, an unusually scared tone to his voice.

Even Jamie is surprised. Over the years, he's heard is dad happy, angry, sad, excited, frustrated. A whole range of emotions, but never this. Not scared. The 6"4 hard as nails cop doesn't get scared. At least not in front of his kids. Jamie hates seeing his dad like this. Even more so now, because it sounds as though he's once again doubting if he should be on the force or not. Jamie's decision has always been a big debate. From the moment he announced it he caused shock waves in the Reagan family.

"I've been thinking long and hard about it" Frank pauses, staring into his son's eyes "At first I went back to my initial reaction, when you first told me you'd joined the academy. I was scared. I didn't want to lose you like we lost Joe"

"And now?" Jamie asks fearfully.

Frank sighs heavily "And now, after seeing the cop you've become. Well, son, I couldn't be prouder"

The Commissioner smiles proudly at his baby boy. Watching him breathe a sigh of relief. A smile playing on his lips. A glorious sight to see. The past few days have been difficult for Frank. The not knowing had to be the worst. The doctors had no idea when Jamie would wake up. What condition he'd be in mentally or physically was another matter entirely. The smile on his face now - it makes it all worth while for Frank.

"I couldn't be prouder of you Jamie" Frank says gaining his attention again "In the face of danger, not only did you protect your partner, but you raised the alarm to everyone else on the street. You saved lives. There were people stood in the blast zone, who thanks to your warning, managed to clear the area before any real physical harm could be done"

The PC's youngest's smile fades "Yeah the face of danger was a scary one"

Immediately Frank picks up on the remark "Did you see someone before the blast?"

"Yeah, I think I saw the bomber" he admits.

"Walk me through it Jamie" his dad encourages "Tell me everything you saw"

"Yeah" Jamie swallows against the lump forming in his throat "Eddie and I were walking along. The street we were walking down, it didn't seem like anything outta the ordinary. I looked inside a cafe. It was empty. I guess it must've been closed then I spotted this woman in the back. She had a scar, a burn mark I think, on the left side of her face then I saw her hand. It was also scarred. That's when I spotted it..."

The top cop notices his son trail off. A distant look in his eyes. Frank knows this look all too well. It must be a flashback. Jamie is reliving the traumatic event following what he saw.

"What did you see Jamie?" comes a distant, but familiar voice.

Frank and his son look to the door. Danny comes into the room. Neither know how long he's been stood there for. The detective walks over to Jamie's bedside and puts a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay kid" Danny tells him softly "Take your time. Whenever you're ready"

Jamie nods, feeling safe and comforted, with his big brother and dad by his side.

"I saw a remote detonator in her hand" Jamie spots their furrowed eyebrows "Our sergeant showed us a picture of one that the bomb squad had found at one of the other bomb sites. She told us to be on the look out for a device matching that description. I guess I had a gut feeling about it. I thought better to be safe and sorry y'know. So I shouted as loud as I could that there was a bomb then tried to shield Eddie from the blast. Next thing I remember is the blast itself, some bright lights, I think I heard Eddie then nothing until I woke up today"

"You did good kid" Danny points out "Did you get a good look at this woman's face?"

Jamie shares a look with his dad (clearly Danny wasn't there for all of their conversation). A good thing too. It was supposed to be private after all.

"I did" Jamie confirms.

"Would you be willing to work with a sketch artist?" Danny questions, already guessing the answer.

"Yeah I think so" his baby brother replies.

/

"Son of a bitch!" Danny exclaims, the paper in his hand being scrunched in frustration.

Baez takes the paper from him. She looks at the sketch. No wonder Danny is frustrated!

"Are you kidding me?" Baez turns to her partner "Lila Moore is our bomber?"

"Hold on, you know who the bomber is?" Eddie questions, glancing to her own partner.

Danny and Baez take a sideways look at one another. Guilt in their eyes. They interviewed this woman. One of their main suspects was Lila's dad. Lila's family had been caught in a house fire. Only she, her sister and father made it out. They lost everything. It made them bitter to the world and everyone in it. Lila's dad was especially bitter. It's why Danny and Baez had him as a prime suspect. Now they find out it's been Lila all along!

"She's one of the daughter's of our prime suspect" Danny sighs "I can't believe we didn't pick up on this when we interviewed her"

"Don't blame yourself" Jamie tells the detectives "Just go arrest her before she hurts anyone else"

"You got it" Danny shares a smile with his brother.

/

Danny and Baez enter the apartment building. They pass SWAT on the way in. Outside the apartment door, they allow the last of the bomb squad to leave. The place is clear. Everything was done strictly by the NYPD playbook. No messing around. Lila has already put two cops in the hospital.

Now the building is clear, Danny and Baez can go in to make the arrest. Danny is looking forward to this. This woman has hurt a lot of people. Innocent civilians have died. Danny's baby brother could have been one of them. Thank God he wasn't. Still, the eldest of Frank Reagan's children feels the need to see this through to the end. For the case and for his kid brother.

"Lila Moore, you're under arrest" Danny announces as he approaches her.

An arrogant smile crosses her lips. Danny turns her around harshly. Anger builds inside him. She's still smirking. The detective can sense it.

"I'd wipe that smirk off my face if I were you" Danny growls as he slaps his cuffs on her, tightly.

"It took you a while to catch me, didn't it?" Lila teases "It must eat you up inside to know that I blew up a couple of cops before you could stop me. It's a shame really. The guy cop was pretty cute. Those eyes just stared right at me" Lila chuckles to herself "When he realised what was going on you should've seen the fear in his eyes"

Enraged, Danny shoves her hard against the wall "You failed! You hear me?! You failed! Both of those cops are still breathing and that _guy cop_ just so happens to be my kid brother! You're going to prison Lila, for a very long time!"

Lila cackles, amused, as if this is all one big joke "You think prison scares me? After the hell I've been through? Prison will be a breeze"

"You see, that's where you're wrong" Danny snarls in her ear "Not only is that cop my kid brother, but he's also the Commissioner's son. Last time I checked, the Commissioner has a lot of sway in prisons. So your time in prison is going to be anything, but a breeze"

Danny, knowing full well his dad wouldn't show any kind of favouritism, drags the bomber out of the building. Obviously Frank has sway in prisons. The PC has powerful allies. However, Frank would never use those connections in that way, not even for his baby boy. In truth, Danny just said it to wipe the smug smile off her face. It definitely worked. A satisfying win for the detective.

/

Jamie and Eddie watch the news from Jamie's hospital room. It's a real victory for the NYPD. The city can rest easy now. The partners smile as they watch Danny and Baez guide a handcuffed woman out of the building.

"So that's her?" Eddie questions, flicking her eyes over to her partner.

"Yeah that's her" Jamie responds, not taking his eyes off the TV.

Pride swells within Jamie. The sight of his big brother bringing a serial bomber to justice is an amazing sight. There's also a huge sense of relief. This psycho is off the streets. Plus Danny is okay. There was a fear in the back of Jamie's mind that this bomber might not go down without a fight. Luckily she appears to have come quite quietly.

"Your brother must be instilling such fear in her right now" Eddie comments with a chuckle "I almost feel sorry for her"

Jamie turns to his partner. An eyebrow raised in joking disapproval.

She catches his look "Almost"


End file.
